DEATH OF JAMES E. ALSOP

DEATH OF JAMES E. ALSOP

The Morning Olympian > April 18, 1896

ALSOP SUICIDSES IN SEATTLE

Anticipated the Fate in Store for Him- and strangled himself

Seattle, April 18, 1896 > James E. Alsop, alias A. A. Austin, who was arrested in this city yesterday afternoon by Detective John Courtney, of Minneapolis, on the charge of murdering Lena Olsen on the shores of Lake Superior near Duluth, in order to get possession of $450, committed suicide in the city jail here last week. He took a short piece of the blanket given him to sleep on, and after making it fast to a staple in the wall only five feet above the floor, put the other end around his neck and proceeded to strangle himself. He was discovered at 10:20 o’clock when Detective Courtney and Jailer Peer entered his cell to give him some oranges. While it is true that Alsop made no regular confession, he admitted in a general way to Detective Philbrick today that he was in Duluth under the name Austin. Courtney was afraid this afternoon that Alsup would commit suicide, but the police thought his fear groundless.

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Duluth, Minnesota, April 18, 1896 > After a search of nearly two years, during which time at least a dozen suspects have been arrested, A. A. Austin, who enticed Lena Olsen from Minneapolis to Duluth and then brutally murdered her for her money, throwing her body into Lake Superior, has been caught. He was arrested by a Minneapolis detective in Seattle yesterday, where he lived under the name of James E. Alsop. Chief of Police Smith, of Minneapolis, who had been working up the case arrived here today and requisition writing of A. A. Austin, found on a hotel register here, tallies exactly with that of Alsop. Alsop had been involved in a number of questionable deals heretofore. He was a warm friend of Harry Haywood, the famous Minneapolis murderer, and in his valise was found a handkerchief marked with Haywood’s name.

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Aberdeen Daily News, April 25, 1896 > Charged to Alsop’s Account> His supposed to have committed several murders, and a bigamist as well>

Seattle Washington, April 25> James E. Alsop, who was arrested in this city April 16, for the murder in August, 1894 of Miss Lena Olsen of Duluth, Minnesota, and who committed suicide by hanging while in the city jail, was not only a murderer, but a bigamist as well. Emma Alsop of Salt Lake City claims to have been the criminal’s wife. The police believe Alsop also has something to do with the murder of Mrs. Charlotte Fetting on the night of September 14, 1893, and also her son-in-law, James King, who was shot and his body thrown into the bay on the evening of November 17, 1893.

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The Morning Herald, April 25, 1896> A bad history, many crimes attributed to James E. Alsop, the suicide, bigamist and murdered> It is believed he murdered an old lady in Seattle>

Seattle, Washington, April 24, 1896 > James E. Alsop, who was arrested in this city on April 16, for the murder in August 1894, of Miss Lena Olsen of Duluth, Minnesota., and who committed suicide by hanging while in the city jail, was not only a murderer and possibly multi-murderer, and now seems certain, but he was a bigamist as well. Emma Alsop of Salt Lake City claims to have been the criminal’s wife. Unlike the Tacoma widow, she was not disposed to desert her erring husband when in trouble, for she sent him money and messages of love while in jail in this city. There were not however, delivered, for the Salt Lake Mrs. Alsop, upon learning from the newspaper dispatches of her husband’s suicide, wired the post office authorities to return her letters, and her request was complied with. The police believe Alsop had something to do with the murder, in Seattle, of Mrs. Charlotte Fetting on the night of September 4, 1893, and also the murder in Tacoma of her son-in-law, James King, who was shot and his body thrown into the river on the evening of November 17, 1893. After gagging her, the murderer crushed Mrs. Fetting’s skull in with a stove cover, her life having been taken in much the same manner as that of Miss Olsen at Duluth. She was a woman 80 years of age, and the crime was committed for $800, that amount of money having been taken from her trunk after its commission.